1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a self-propelling rolling toy, more particularly to a toy which has an inner body that is suspended in a transparent spherical outer casing, that is kept in a substantially upright orientation when the outer casing rolls on a ground surface, and that is rotated within the outer casing when rolling of the outer casing is resisted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional self-propelling toy is usually provided with a transmission mechanism which includes a spiral torsion spring, a rotary operating member for winding the spiral torsion spring in order to store operating energy, and a gear set for transmitting the operating energy to moving parts, such as leg members, of the toy. The moving parts of the toy can thus be driven by the operating energy to move on a ground surface, such as to simulate a walking action. However, after being popular for years, the aforementioned walking-type toy has lost its appeal and has become less attractive to consumers.
In co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/001,161, the Applicant disclosed a self-propelling rolling toy which includes an inner body suspended rotatably in a transparent spherical outer casing that is capable of rolling movement on a ground surface, a drive unit for driving rotation of the inner body in the outer casing, and clutch means operable to lock selectively the inner body to the outer casing. In use, the clutch means must be operated for a first time in order to lock the outer casing to the inner body to permit winding of a spiral energy spring, and for a second time in order to unlock the outer casing from the inner body to permit unwinding of the spiral energy spring and permit relative rotation between the inner body and the outer casing. It is noted that operation of the clutch means is somewhat difficult for a small child. Moreover, the structure of the clutch means is relatively complicated. It is thus desirable to provide a self-propelling rolling toy which includes clutch means that has a simplified structure and that is easier to operate, especially by a small child.